


SPIRITS [Fall - Year One]

by Lovely_Mess



Series: Purple Skies & Promises [2]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Other, Pumpkins, Stardew Valley - Freeform, cuteness, purple skies and promises, stardew valley harveyxfemale player, stardew valley series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-17 21:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13667541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovely_Mess/pseuds/Lovely_Mess
Summary: "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." - George Orwell.





	1. Pumpkin Guts

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read, and comments are always appreciated. Please also make sure to check out the rest of the series. I love ideas of any kind and am open to hearing them from all of you. Feel free to leave comments below of what you would like to see, or send me a message.

 

“Good morning!”

Sabrina turned at the sound of the cheerful voice, the noisy squawks of grumpy chickens following her movement as they demanded more dried corn. Harvey was walking towards the pen, lips curled into a smirk. Sabrina raised her free hand and gave a light wave.

“Oh my gosh, alright already!” The chickens had started pecking at the tops of her boots. She grimaced at them and emptied the rest of the bucket at her feet, quickly taking a step back as they all rushed forward. “Greedy birds.”

Letting out a huff she brushed her hands on her thighs and turned toward the fence and leaning on it with her arms. Harvey came forward and did the same on the opposite side, leaning forward to give Sabrina a hesitant peck on the corner of her mouth.

“Maybe you should invest in hiring Shane to help you.” The man chuckled at his own comment - a low sound that made Sabrina want to wrap her arms around herself and squeeze. Instead she rolled her eyes.

“Maybe I should.” She moved to open the gate on the fence. “I’d never have to give him a dime, and beer is cheap.” Shane had proven to be good company when Sabrina first moved to Pelican Town; a good drinking buddy. All he wanted to do was tell stories of when he was on a sports team, or talk about chickens. Both things proved to bore Sabrina to death, but the company of a drunk was better than the company of none. At the time, she was still getting used to her surroundings and the people who wanted to know everything about the new person all at once. Perhaps that was why she was drawn to the doctor - patient and in no rush to learn everything, most of which she still had yet to reveal. He never hounded her for information like some of the others. The females her age especially; one or two seemed rather nosey. Though, Sabrina had to admit she was just as curious herself about them. All part of being female, she supposed.

“Hens are just about as bad as vultures.” Sabrina glanced back at her tiny horde still pecking away at the ground. “Cheeky little things” She turned back towards Harvey and crossed her arms. “Have you ever owned chickens, doctor?”

He chuckled again, shrugging his shoulders as he looked down on her. “I think a neighbor may have had one or two when I was younger. Saying that may have just dated myself even more, though.” He also looked back towards the hens, giving Sabrina the perfect opportunity to roll her eyes at his comment - one of many. She found it amusing, but always had to bite her tongue to hold back her sarcasm.

The young woman was going to ask if he was going to stare at the chickens all day, but her tongue bit itself. She ended up taking hold of his hand in order to drag him away. He had offered her his help today, and she planned on making the most of the daylight. Sabrina had felt bad for her lack of contribution to the first of festivals she took part in. She hadn’t even taken part in the fair aside from walking around and getting a glimpse at what everyone else had to offer. There was just so much to be done around her homestead. Her grandfather had left her a hefty mess to clean up. Plus in the past couple of months she had to learn farming 1-0-1 from start to - well, she probably still didn’t know everything.

So, because of her lack of contribution to the town, Sabrina had offered to set up jack-o-lantern displays for the Spirit's Eve festival that would be taking place the following day. Spirit’s Eve was one of her absolute favorite things growing up. Though she never experienced it in Pelican Town, running around looking for ghosts and goblins was one of her fondest childhood pastimes in the town she grew up in. Even as an adult, the day still held an important place in her heart. Also, she considered herself a master at carving pumpkins; practically had bragging rights. She had already gotten started the other day; having placed few of her designs around town already in preparation for the holiday. She still wanted to carve out a few more before the next day.

Plus, Harvey had offered his help. Her mouth had accepted the opportunity to spend time with him before her brain had a chance to process the idea. So now she lead him inside her tiny house towards her kitchen table that she had already covered with newspaper. Missy was curled up on the table, the rise and fall of her back interrupted by the humans approaching her. The feline yawned, stretched, and arched her head towards the gentleman who’s hand reached down to great her.

“Pushover.” Sabrina mumbled towards her cat as she pulled out one of the tables’ chairs. “Move it.” She ripped the edge of the paper in front of her, crumpling it up and tossing it across the floor. Instantly Missy took off after it, pushing it into the other room where she would bat it around until she got bored.

Harvey shrugged out of his coat; rolled up his sleeves as Sabrina picked a pumpkin out of the create beneath the table. She reached a second time and pushed one towards him. “Have you done this before?” She asked as she picked up a knife, turning the pumpkin on its side so that she could properly stab it.

“A few times.” Harvey admitted as he sat across from her, surveying the pumpkin as he pulled it toward him, using the same technique as Sabrina in order to get the top of it off. He glanced towards the center of the table at the designs they would be using. “You drew all of those?”

Sabrina looked towards her simple designs as she picked up the spoon she would be using to dig the insides out of her pumpkin. They were simple drawings, easily carvable. Ghosts, witches, things of that nature. She then looked up and nodded. “Yes, I did.” With a grin on her face she began removing pumpkin gunk mixed with seeds. “Let’s try not to get any guts on the floor - I’m going to try to save the seeds for next year.” She frowned at the thought of having to pick through a bucket of pumpkin innards later to gather what hopefully would be enough seeds for next fall.  She made quick work of the vegetable - or fruit. It didn’t really matter to her, as long as it was cleaned out.

Harvey observed as Sabrina reached towards a design and pinning it to the orange surface. The tip of her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth. “You’re quite the practiced surgeon.” He said playfully. In return she gave a smile.

“My brother Arnold and I used to bring home five each from the patch.” She began, not taking her eyes off her work as she approached the subject. “Dad nearly had a fit at the mess.” It took her a moment to realize the topic she had just brought up, and she held her breath momentarily as she braced herself for the question that was coming next. Focused on her work, she hadn't realized what can of worms she had opened. 

“You have a brother?” The question poured from the mans mouth the same way she had imagined in her head; curious but never prying. “You never mentioned anything about him. Are you close?”

“We were.” She mumbled her response, continuing to work as she spoke. She felt eyes on her, but didn’t look up. “When I was younger he joined the military once he was old enough. He became a pilot and disappeared with his crew over the ocean two years after he enlisted. Nothing was ever found.” She bit her lip, avoiding eye contact. It must have been an awkward conversation topic for the wannabe pilot/plane lover sitting across from her.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Luckily for her there was no follow up question to why she never mentioned Arnold before. It wasn't nessesarily difficult subject matter to her - she had gone through years without her brother. The void was filled with other things; school, college, work. The past was best left in the past and the future uncertain. She couldn't even remember what his voice had been like, but it was nice to imagine it calm and cool - like the man sitting across from her. 

The awkward silence that followed Harveys last sentence set a pit in Sabrinas stomach. She went back to work momentarily, moving the knife slowly in order to obtain smooth lines throughout her image. How long was a silence supposed to last? A heavy breeze blew in from the single open window, hitting the back of her neck and causing strands of hair to fall in her face. _Oh, what am I doing? Roll with the sympathy!_ The young woman suddenly set her knife down and got up from her seat.

“Hold on.” She stated, moving into the other room; reaching for an ancient polaroid stuck in the corner of her vanity mirror. Back out in the kitchen she handed it to Harvey; noticing the somber look on his face. In reaction she placed an arm around his shoulders and pointed to the young man in the picture next to an even younger Sabrina. The lanky man was in full uniform, girl next to him in some frilly getup. “It phased me more when I was ten than it does now. As a kid, you never want to hear that someone is gone.” She paused as she felt an arm move around her waist. “Choices are ours to make, unfortunately. Every choice has a consequence, and we have to accept the fact that they can be good or bad.”

Following her words there was another silence in the room. Sabrina let the now mutual feeling settle over her as she scanned the image of her brother. A handsome man with high cheekbones and eyes much like her own. He knew what he had been signing up for all those years ago. Their father knew, and deep down in her own maturing mind, she knew then.

Harvey was the one to break the silence. This was done by pulling the woman beside him into his lap, barely giving her the time to let out a full yelp. She felt her face turning red, but didn’t struggle against the embrace; mostly due to her own flustered nature.

“Well, I think you're absolutely right.” the doctor said. “And rather poetic.” The last statement had a held a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Poetic my ass.” Sabrina squirmed slightly in his arms with an attempt to get away. In response he pulled her closer, laughing into her hair. “We're never going to get done at this rate.” she grumbled, finally giving in to being held. She actually found herself rather content with it.  _If I'm stuck here forever I suppose it wouldn't be a problem._ Keeping her thoughts to herself, she lowered her eyes towards the man who was refusing to loosen his grip, though she hoped it would stay that way for the time being.

“That's alright Dear,” said Harvey, “the festival isn't until tomorrow.”

“That's alright Dear, you suck at pumpkin carving.” 


	2. Green Apples

 

The air was getting chilly as Sabrina brought her horse to a trot with a nudge of her heels. Mollie was a solid mare, gentle and not easily spooked. Above them leaves shook and rustled in the breeze. The journey along the dirt road into town was the perfect dark setting for Spirit’s Eve. Even though the stretch was easily walked in well under a half hour, Sabrina had brought Mollie along in case she needed to make a quick escape into the darkness. She had not stayed out so late during her time in Stardew Valley unless it was on her own farm. Who knew what could potentially jump out at her? It could have easily been this particular day that was jittering her nerves; Spirit's Eve always managed to do so. It was actually a little bit exciting.

Sabrina turned off her flashlight at the sight of a streetlight. Nearing town, she slid off of the mare and guided her by the reins the short rest of the way.

“I made that.” She told her horse, pointing out one of the jack-o-lanterns she had carved that was resting near the light pole. It illuminated the ground around it with a soft orange glow. Mollie had no response. “You’re going to have to act more excited than that.” Warned Sabrina as she tied the reins around fence post next to where Pierre had set up shop for the evening. Mid-conversation with his daughter he waved toward her. There was no doubt that within the past couple of months she had proven to be one of his best customers. Especially with Joja Mart around the corner reeking in hefty profits.

Abigail has reached behind the stand to grab something, now completely ignoring her father and approaching Sabrina. “I like your jack-o-laterns.” She said, holding out the offering of a red apple to the beast in front of her. The comment seemed to be just an excuse for her to give Mollie attention; she reached out to stroke the mares neck. “Are you going into the maze?”

Sabrina had went into the saddle bag and pulled out a small cloth bundle. “Maybe.” She mumbled, not entirely a lie. While the idea did seem interesting, her amusement would probably fade as she kept getting lost. Harvey had mentioned how every year the labyrinth got more and more ridiculous. “I have to run and errand, can you keep Mollie company for awhile?” Her question was greeted by a small nod from Abigail, who was no longer looking at her. Muttering her thanks, Sabrina turned on her heel and walked off in the opposite direction, avoiding the center of town best she could before anyone else decided to greet her.

The decrepit building seemed like the perfect setting for a horror flick; nerves settling in her stomach once again. She pushed the thought away, blaming it on the holiday. Yet, the young woman always felt a little anxious as she pushed open the ancient door. She had never been inside during the night before - the quiet, settle building was nou filled with creaking noises as she entered. Moonlight speckled the floor through boarded up windows. An animal scurried inside the wall, startling Sabrina as she made her way over to the fireplace. Rodents seemed to be the only ones who took up time in the old community center, aside from her. Kneeling down in in the dust, Sabrina placed the small bundle in front of her, untying her knot quickly with her tiny fingers. Inside were a few simple items: a mushroom, plum, hazelnut, and blackberry.

Placing her hands in her lap, she waited; her eyes darted around the room as she tried to be patient. Items before her lay still. Her fingers traced along the hem of her jeans near the knee; she didn’t like being alone with her thoughts. Not that they were necessarily bad, but they often ran circles in her head until she felt dizzy from the ideas she pondered over. Stupid things, like if she remembered to turn her oven off or if the hens had produced an even number of eggs. As much as her new life proved to be a distraction, the bouts of anxiety still plagued her. Waiting wasn’t exactly her strong point. Her mother had been the same way, according to her father. Always cleaning something or tapping her foot or running the iron over his shirt until every wrinkle was gone. The woman was long gone now; having left this world when Sabrina was small - leaving memories of her shrill voice behind with photographs of her frowning. Sabrina could barely remember if she had liked her mother as a small child.

She sighed, and then she was suddenly startled by a small ‘pop!’ sound in front of her. Finally! Sabrina leaned down as the tiny green creature appeared; the slightly translucent body reminded her of an apple. Small beady eyes looked up at her as it wiggled around in a dance. Chirps of joy made tiny echoes as it twirled. Although they could not be seen, chirps of others filled the room as well. Sabrina reached down in order to tie up her bundle once more - the tiny creature lifted it over it’s head and waddled off in the direction of a tiny hut in the corner of the room. Choruses of chirps followed, and then faded as the creature disappeared inside the dwelling.

Sabrina smiled, eyes lingering on the object for a few more moments before she pushed herself up from the ground with a grunt. Upon turning, her hand went to her chest as her heart threatened to jump from her body. A figure was standing at the entrance of the old building. She hadn’t heard the door open. Now startled, it took her a few moments to distinguish the pointed had on the figures head.

“OoOoOo!” The wizard wiggled his fingers in the air as he stepped forward. He then laughed loudly, nearly shaking the building in the process. He stepped forward into the tiny spots of light as Sabrina crossed her arms. “Lighten up child, you’re probably the only one I can scare without a threat of being burned at the stake.” The over exaggeration made Sabrina frown, and he sighed. With the snap of his fingers, a small fire erupted in the fireplace. The red embers revealed the broken floorboards and debris lying about.

“The Junimos must appreciate your offerings.” He stated, now looking around. “Things around the valley seem to be fixing themselves overnight. Nature seems to be restoring itself.” The statement sounded contradicting to Sabrina, seeing as winter was just around the corner. Nevertheless, she nodded.

“It gives me something to do.” She admitted, voice low. She looked down at her feet, focusing her eyes on her dust covered boots.

“You’ve been quite busy. No task too mundane, eh?” The wizard laughed again. “Most people wish they could do as much as you do. Your grandfather didn’t even have the gull to run around like you.” The man had mentioned her grandfather upon his first meeting with Sabrina. He, the wizard, and the strange man of the wilderness Linus had apparently been good friends. “He did good entrusting you with his final wishes.”

Sabrina scoffed, shuffling her foot and kicking up dust. “I’m starting to think he sent letters out to all my cousins and I’m the only one who didn’t lose it.” she grumbled. “The man had six kids, you know.”

“I remember, and each grew up and moved on away, leaving him behind. But we all have choices to make, and are guided in different directions.”

Sabrina lowered her eyes at his words. “And the point of you pretending to be the ghost of Spirit’s Eve past is…?” She thought that would get another laugh out of him, but his demeanor and tone suddenly turned serious, making her shiver.

“I’ve received a message from the beyond.” For a moment Sabrina thought he was messing with her again, but upon resting her gaze on his face the worried look was enough to make her mind start to panic. The fire crackled and spit from behind her, their two shadows danced on the wall momentarily. She said nothing.

“You choose pride over desire.” The wizard continued. “By not allowing yourself to be selfish, your ego entices others to fulfill your desires for you. Do not allow this them to stretch too high, because some things are unforgivable. People become strange when focused.”

“Well, that makes no sense.” Sabrina spat. The wizard must have heard worse in his lifetime, because he only let his shoulders rise and fall.

“Do you ask the postman what’s in the box when he delivers it?” He asked. “Be glad what you got was as clear as it was.” When his words didn’t seem to settle her, he stepped forward and placed a heavy hand on her shoulders. “I shouldn’t have to tell a young person to listen to their heart. However, you are different. You, young Sabrina, are a stone. Some stones -”

“Have a gem inside.” She finished the sentence for him quickly. “Yadda, yadda. I’ll have Clint smack me in the head with a pickaxe.” In one swift movement, she had twirled around him in order to escape into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> The second chapter of this installment will either be posted this evening (2/13) or early the following day. I'm still trying to figure out how this site works.


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